Pope conducts mass amid media leaks scandal

Pope Benedict has conducted pentecostal mass in Rome after one of the most turbulent weeks in recent Vatican history. It’s engulfed in a media leaks scandal, which has spread allegations of corruption and mismanagement beyond the city’s walls.

On Saturday, it was announced that the Pope’s butler, Paulo Gabriele, was being formally investigated. He is suspected of leaking highly sensitive information about Vatican contracts.

Gabriele is being held in a “secure room” in the offices of the Vatican’s small police force.

The president of the Vatican Bank has also been ousted in the past few days.

Ettore Gotti Tedeschi claims he was sacked because the organisation, also known as the IOR, did not like his honest ways of doing things.

The official reason for his departure was that he had not been fulfilling the requirements of the job.

“I hope that it is going to be the beginning of a new chapter for the IOR and part of that chapter will be restoring the public image of the IOR,” said Carl Anderson, Vatican Bank board member.

Vatican magistrates are now probing how many people are involved in the so-called “Vatileaks” scandal.

The Pope is said to be “pained” that members of his domestic household could have betrayed him.

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